Star-Crossed: Beginning of the End
by bookishworm24
Summary: Tensions are high between the Atrians and the humans in the year 2024. War is on the horizon, but some don't know it yet. Julia Yeung is about to be caught in the middle of the battle for Earth.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey! I'm super excited to be joining Star-Crossed fanfic. This is my first fanfic that I'm actually putting online, and I hope that you enjoy it. I can't wait to add more to my story, read more SC fanfic, and of course watch more Star-Crossed. My narrative is told from Julia's POV and starts the morning after the Arrival Day Anniversary. More chapters to come soon.**

**Star-Crossed: Beginning of the End**

**Chapter 1**

Something felt different. Of course when you spend most of your life in a hospital being pumped up with chemo, pills, and marrow transplants, a cancer free body will take some time getting used to. Could it be that I'm just not used to being normal? I thought to my reflection.

My skin had once been translucent enough to see my veins, and dark circles were a permanent accessory under my eyes. Just two weeks ago, I looked like an empty shell. The ghost of a girl who had never been given the chance to live. I was the walking ghost of Julia Yeung.

Now I was looking at a reflection that couldn't possibly be my own. I looked like a photo shopped verison of myself. My skin was glowing, and my cheeks had a natural light blush to them. My brown eyes had become darker. When I turned slightly away from the light, they could become almost black. It made me look dangerous, mysterious...even sexy? Could Roman's magical cancer cure have made me better looking on top of saving my life, or was I supposed to look like this from the get go?

I don't think I was meant to look like a Victoria Secret model though. I didn't look like this when Roman first cured me. I was also preoccupied with being mysteriously cured of cancer, and then there were those glowing blue veins I had to deal with. Is it possible I was so focused on those things, that I hadn't noticed I went from ugly duckling to a swan seemingly over night? Seemingly overnight. I thought about that for a minute, then I remembered the vyre.

It was only yesterday at the arrival day tenth anniversary that I had taken vyre. Roman's solution to keeping just how my cancer was cured under wraps must also be responsible for this makeover. I smiled at my reflection, shook my head, and let out a soft chuckle. Atrians can cure diseases, and have plants that can make people look like supermodels, but we just keep them locked away in their own version of the Jewish ghettos from world war ii.

It was late October, but in Louisiana it might as well have been spring. I decided to wear something that would help show off my new look. In the back of my closet was a white sun dress with lace accents and a sweetheart neckline. It was the the dress I wore to my cousins backyard wedding last year. At that time I had lost so much weight that it hung on me like a little girl playing dress up with her mom's clothes. With some healthy weight gain in all the right places, I now filled out the dress perfectly. It clung to my upper body just right and flared out at the gem just a couple inches above the knee. I looked older, but at the same time I looked my age. Girly but grown. Is this what they would have dressed me in if I hadn't been cured? I put a bright red cashmere sweater on to keep my sleeveless arms from getting too cold and borrowed my older sister's suede beige ankle booties with the chunky heel. I switched my books from my blue Puma backpack to my large brown leather messenger bag and headed out the door. I looked at myself in the floor length mirror that hung on my bedroom door. My hand rested on the silver doorknob while my eyes examined myself from top to bottom.

I looked good. I looked amazing, in fact. I wonder if maybe it was too much. Locked away for most of my life like Repunzel. Screw it. I deserve to look good. I don't have anything to hide anymore. No cancer, and no blue veins. As far as my new look is concerned for anyone who wants to ask questions, good health just agrees with me. I smiled at my reflection, let out a breath, and was ready.

Emery was waiting for me in her dad's gorgeous silver BMW with the black interior. Her dad was taking a leave of absence from work, following the death of Roman's father, Nox. I guess Emery's dad wasn't leaving the house very much since Emery had been given unlimited use of the car since the accident in the Atrian compound.

I waived at Emery from the top of the driveway, but she wasn't looking at me. Emery was staring straight into the steering wheel. Her forehead was covered in worry lines, and she was biting the inside of her cheek. I felt bad for Em. Everything that was going on with her Dad, her complicated relationship with Roman, and the sabotage of her video presentation yesterday during the Arrival Day Anniversary. All of this drama was clearly taking its toll on my bestie.

When I opened the passenger door to the car, I was nearly blown over with Em's greeting. "Whoa! Julia, you look incredible!"

"Thanks. Honestly, I was wondering if you would even notice me; you were staring at that steering wheel so hard, I was expecting it to burst into flames." I gave Em a sympathetic smile and slide into the passenger seat.

Emery frowned and let out a painful sigh. "You're not going to believe it, Julia. Grayson is a Red Hawke! Or his parents are. Or they all are. I don't know, I'm so confused!" She was right. I didn't believe it. Emery had just told me a couple of days ago the Grayson was responsible for saving Atrian bad boy wannabe, Drake from becoming an example of what the Red Hawkes were capable of at the homecoming carnival.

"What do you mean?", I asked Em with surprise.

"I overheard Grayson's parents talking about how they were responsible for what happend with my Atrian video. His mom asked his dad if the video could be traced back to them or Grayson. Grayson told me it was all his parents, but I just don't know what to believe. Roman told me it's dangerous, and we don't know who's watching. I guess he was right."

Emery looked like she was on the verge of tears. When she and I had met in a leukemia support group for kids, all we talked about was what our lives would be like once we got better. At the time, it felt like empty fantasies to pass the time and forget our real lives. Now that both of our dreams had come true and we were free to be normal teenagers, life had never felt more complex. "This is huge, Grayson's dad is the mayor. You have to tell Roman.", was all I could think to say. Roman hadn't been wrong yet.

"I can't tell Roman. Roman said we don't know who's watching. What if Grayson finds out I leaked to the Atrians his family's head of a terrorist anti-Atrian organization? I can't risk that. That's why I'm telling you here, away from prying eyes.", Emery quickly glanced around the car, which further emphasized her anxiety. I didn't blame her for being scared. Em had a target on her back from most Atrians for who her dad was, and some of the "less progressive" students at school had labeled her a traitor to her family and species for showing such enthusiasm for integrating humans and Atrians. I have to help my friends, and not just Emery but Roman too.

"I'll tell Roman. I've talked to him a couple times, so it isn't suspect. And no one except you, me, and your dear old dad's Beamer even knows that you told me. There isn't much that can be done about the Red Hawkes right now, but the Atrian's should know who to be weary of."

Emery looked relieved, "Thanks, Julia. At least I know that you and I are on the same side. Let's head to school before we're late."

It was then that I wanted to tell Emery how Roman, the boy she loved had saved me not once but twice. I wanted to tell my best friend that over night I had become an Atrian magical plant guinea pig. She trusted me with all this, but I felt compelled to keep so much from her. Before I knew it, we were a block away from school and the moment to spill my secret had past. Both of us sat in silence, no doubt that we both felt guilty for missing the simple days of day dreams, jell-o, and nurse Carla.


	2. Chapter 2

Em and I arrived at school to much more of a commotion than I ever could have ever anticipated. The looks of surprise I was getting from the guys and disgust from the girls made me feel naked.

I was never much of an attention grabber, so my first instinct was to assume that the looks were regarding something else. "Do you think their staring because of the Red Hawke video fiasco yesterday?", I whispered to Em.

"Oh please! Half the kids at this school are probably too enthralled about where the next kegger is going to be thrown to worry about silly things like political terrorists. Their staring because you look positively beautiful; the guys want you, and the girls are grape jelly on toast.", Em said with a smile and lift of her right eyebrow. Yay! My fun and carefree bestie was back, even if it might be short lived. I giggled, threw my arm over her shoulder, and we walked into the school together with our heads held high. Damn the Atrian or Red Hawke spies! For this moment, we were typical teenagers.

Em and I parted ways at my locker just before the bell for first period rang. She and I had looked around nervously for Grayson, but he never went to his locker. I wondered if he would have the gall to show up, after what he had done to Emery. His absence made me believe he was actually a Red Hawke. If he was telling the truth and it was all his parents, then he should be able to come to school and try to make amends with Em.

Regardless of what role Grayson played in Em's video sabotage (stooge or master mind), I was still planing on telling Roman. Roman and I had third period English together, and even though we sat on opposite sides of the classroom, I knew that would be my chance.

First and second period seemed to go by in super duper slow motion. I was also starting to regret my clothing choice with every stare, and note I was passed asking if I was free this weekend. "Tomorrow, I wear overalls and a parka.", I thought to myself while keeping my head down for the remainder of Mrs. Herman's lecture on the fourth US/Iraqy War. When the bell rang, I rushed to English in hopes that Roman would be abnormally punctual.

Alas, Roman wasn't in the classroom yet. I took my seat in the back corner by the window and waited on the edge of my seat for him to come into the room. Why was I so egar to tell Roman the scoop on Grayson? I mean what could Roman actually do about the Grayson thing anyway? I'm sure the Atrians are aware that some Red Hawkes probably keep a low profile so as not to be suspected. My palms were sweaty, and an unhappy thought passed through my head. Was I feeling something for Roman?

Could it be that I'm so egar to get the news to Roman just because I want a reason to speak with him? My throat went completly dry at the thought. Emery is my best friend, and she clearly has feelings for him, and Roman has them for her too. The only reason I'm alive right now is because Roman wanted to help the human that he cared for, Emery. If it wasn't for his feelings for Em, I would be dead. I felt numb at the thought. If I was only alive for the sake of Emery, then what does that say about me? I pushed the negativity out of my head. If I do have some feelings for Roman, then I'm sure it's just some reversed Florence Nightingale thing. He is also the only guy, uh person, no alien...ugh living being of the opposite sex to pay any sort of mind to me. I care about him because he helped me, and I'm just going to be his friend. There, it's settled.

Mr. Evans- the English teacher walked into the classroom just as my internal struggle was coming to an end, and he was followed by the bell and the remainder of the students. Roman was the last one to enter, and we caught eachothers eye as he headed toward his seat in the front corner of the room by the door. His eyebrows shot up and he gave me a small smile before mouthing the word, "Vyre?" at me. I might have just shrugged off any possibilities of a crush towards Roman as nothing more than gratitude, but it felt really good to have Roman notice my new look. "Some friend you are.", I could hear my inner monologue say disapproval.

"Today, we will be pairing you up. You will exchange your short story that I hope you all wrote last night and act as editor to your partner's paper. Let's start with the back row. Julia how about you partner with Drake.", Mr. Evans must have it out for me. With three Atrians in the class he pairs me with Drake, who would tattoo "HUMANS NOT WELCOME" across his chest if he could. Not to mention that this would have been a perfect time for the universe to give me a chance to settle my business with Roman.

After the rest of the class was paired off, Drake brought his chair over to my desk and sat slouched forward with his elbows resting on his knees. I haven't had a chance to meet Drake yet, but it wasn't exactly on my To Do List. The alien looked like he had some serious roid rage. He had a hard and angry expression plastered on his face. His Atrian marks were the only thing to soften his looks. The marks reminded you that he was vulnerable. People want to hurt him, hurt his kind. Red Hawkes would exterminate the Atrians if given the chance. I understood where he was coming from; I would probably build up a wall of animosity toward the humans if I were in his shoes. I took my double spaced, times new roman font short story out of my folder and handed it to Drake.

"I didn't do it.", he said flipping through the three pages without reading it. I made a quick glance in Roman's direction only to see him quietly reading his partner's paper while chewing on the end of his pen. This reminded me of that saying about grass being greener on your neighbor's lawn.

"Um, that's okay. You don't even have to read mine if you want. It's pretty bad. I couldn't really think of anything to write, so I ended up hunched over my computer with a bag of Twizzlers at three in the morning just typing whatever. I'm sure it's gibberish." That was a lie. I had stayed up most of the night typing up my story, but I couldn't have been more content writing it. I had based the story on my life as it has been recently. My story told of my visions of an angel saving a girl from her death bed only to have her be stricken by some dangerous side effect that made her skin glow. My art was imitating life.

Drake shrugged and tossed my paper back on my desk. He looked up at me, and I felt a shiver move up my spine. Drake's eyes felt like they could move right through me, and see my secrets. "You're friends with the girl whose dad killed Nox right?", he said in a cold monotone.

He didn't beat around the bush, and I didn't know how to respond. "My name is Julia, and that girl told me she saved your life from some trigger happy Red Hawkes at the homecoming carnival.", I matched his tone.

My matter of fact response seemed to surprise him. Drake's expression softend for a moment, and I saw the corner of his lips perk up a bit. Just as quick as it had come, his softness was gone. "It would do you good to know what to keep to yourself.", Drake growled at me as he reached for my wrist in an attempt to intimadate me. It was working too; I was frozen stone cold with my mouth gapping at his bipolar mood swing. As soon as his fingers brushed my skin, the world started going black around the edges.

"Hey? You alright? What's wrong...", I could hear Drake's voice trailing off. There was a shaky fear to it that hadn't been there before. I felt as if I was falling, and the blackness closed in more and more until there was nothing.

I woke up in in my old hospital room. My whole body felt like it was on fire. Everything around me had a green tint to it, like someone had put green lightbulbs in the over head lighting. I tried to sit up out of bed but it was so difficult. I felt weak and fragile. My arms looked terrible; they were covered in bruises, my skin was that sickly translucent pale again, and the blue veins were back. When I finally managed to get out of bed, my bare feet touched the floor and felt the dust and glass on my skin. Everything in the hospital room was covered in a thick layer of dust and peices of broken glass.

"Hello?!", I called out to no one. I could hear the sound of my voice echoing throughout the hallway of my open room.

"Julia.", I heard the faint whisper of my name and knew someone needed help.

I walked out of my room and into the deserted hallway. My feet bled from the glass, my flesh felt like it was burning off, and my veins glowed a deeper blue in the darkness of the hallway. "

Not as you've seen it before." I heard a strong and confident woman say in the darkness.

I kept walking towards the voice with the hem of my hospital gown blowing gently against my knees. The burning was increasing, but I know that I must see what is going on.

"Black cyper, and you will be the one to release it on the humans.", the voice said again. Alone in the dark hallway, I suddenly felt an unseen presence, then the screaming started. A man screamed like I've never heard before. The lights went on, and a man was in front of me thrashing around, screaming with his hands ripping at his face. Suddenly he made a few gasping, gargling breathes and fell to the ground. Even with most of the skin from his face looking like he was the victim of some acid throwing attack, he looked familiar. He was a security agent. I had seen him around school, and during my tour of the Atrian sector. His uniform only confirmed it. Tears filled my eyes, and I was having trouble breathing. I had to get out of there.

I started to run in the opposite direction of the body. I could see an elevator at the end of the long hallway. The doors kept opening up and closing. Open, close, open, close. Something wasn't right. It wouldn't close all the way. There was a thin gap between the doors. I reached the elevator only to see that a hand rested on the floor. The hand had been keeping the doors from closing all they way. I moved slowly closer only to realize my worst nightmare. The hand was Emery's. She lay lifeless on the floor in a puddle of blood that bubbled up from her chest.

"Help me!", I screamed as I moved through the doors and got down on my knees. I took Emery's head in my arms, cradling her.

"Help me!", I was more desperate and the tears were rushing down my face.

The door closed and opened again to reveal Emery's father. He was wearing his security uniform and pointing a pistol at my head.

"Please, help her.", I pleaded the father of the lifeless body I clung to.

He looked at me with a cold, dead stare and said, "No."

Bang. The gunshot jolted my eyes open and caused my whole body to jerk instinctively. I sat up trying to catch my breath. It had been a dream. I looked around; I was in the nurses office resting on a cott. Drake stood over me with a hard look on his face. His arms crossed over his chest. "What are you.", he asked in an accusatory tone.


	3. Chapter 3

Hey everyone. I just want to thank anyone who has decided to read this far, anyone who has reviewed, followed, and or favorited my story. I'm hoping to update once a week until the story is done. Feel free to PM me with any questions or anything. This chapter is a bit shorter, but I hope you enjoy it.

Chapter 3

"What?" My voice was a breathless whisper.

Drake lunged towards me and with one steady motion, I was pinned against the wall. Drake's hand was wrapped around my throat just tight enough that I knew there was no escape. His breath was hot on my face, and his eyes were cold and angry. "Are you Atrian? A Trag with hidden marks sent to spy on me? TELL ME!"

He slammed me into the the hard stone wall behind me, and placed his free hand over my mouth to conceal my painful scream. "I don't know what you're talking about. Please just let me go before the nurse comes back, and no one needs to know about this Drake." I begged him.

"Don't lie to me. Just a second ago you were speaking in Sondiv. Last I checked, this school only offered Mandarin and Spanish." Drake growled through his teeth.

Sondiv? I've never even heard an Atrian speak Sondiv. I couldn't begin to imagine what Sondiv would sound like. It was illegal for Atrians to speak in their native tongue. Even after ten years of sharing the planet, humans were not able to translate any Sondiv. Humans had decided it would be safer to outlaw the use of Sondiv. This obiviously only created the illusion of safety. Everyone knew the Artians kept their language and culture alive behind the closed doors of the sector. "Please Drake. I can't breathe."

I fell to ground gasping for air, upon Drake's release of my throat. He stood over me with his hands clenched into tight fists. "What do they think I'm not loyal? Were you sent to spy on me? To test me?"

Drake was either going crazy or I was. "Drake, come on. Why don't you sit down, and take a deep breath? This is all a misunderstanding. Look, I really don't know what you're talking about." I once saw a TV show about what to do in a situation with someone who was deranged and possibly dangerous. I intuitively made slow movements, spoke calmly, and looked Drake in the eye. It seemed to be working. Drake started to back away slowly. I took in my surrounding through my peripheral vision. The door to the hallway was about two paces to my left, and the seat next to the cott was six or seven paces from the door. Maybe I could bolt out the door once Drake was sitting? Where is the nurse? Why was Drake doing this? My brain was working overtime on nothig but adrenaline.

Suddenly, Drake's eyes looked around the room wildly in fear. Oh no, I've lost control of him. "No! No! No! I'm not going to end up like that traitor sector officer without a face!" Drake screamed as he beat his head repeatedly with his fists.

I was cowering in the corner, frozen with fear. What he had said hit me like a ton of bricks. The sector officer without a face. My dream.

"What's going on?!" The nurse entered the room with a look of horror on her face at Drake's fit. "Drake, stop." She said in a commanding tone that didn't match her 4ft, 5in frame and gray hair.

Nurse Louise was able to switch Drake from crazy to calm faster than the speed of light. At Nurse Louise's command, Drake had his hands at his side. He looked from the nurse to me. He had tears streaming down his face. The bell rang signaling the end of the period. In less than a second, the hallway outside of the nurse's office was filled with the hum of teenagers talking and walking. Drake quickly made his way past Nurse Louise and out the door. Nurse Louise followed him, and yelled out over the chatter of the hallway, "I'm calling the guidance counselor on you! Don't get too comfortable in that next class of yours!" She turned around, shutting the door behind her. Nurse Louise quickly made her way over to me, grabbing my arm to help me up off the ground. "Good Lord, are you okay? What happend?" She asked while guiding me over to the cott.

I didn't have the first clue how to answer that question. What had happend? Between my dream, Drake's manic freak out, and what he had accoused me of, I felt dizzy. The nurse laid me down on the cott and felt my forehead with the back of her hand. She looked at me, patiently waiting for me to explain what she had walked in on. A million things crossed my mind in a second, but luckily I was saved by someone entering the room.

"Another Atrian in a matter of minutes? Aren't I a lucky duck." Louise made the air thick with sarcasm. "What ails you? The same thing that got to your brotheren?"

"Um, I brought Julia the stuff she had left in class." I leaned up on my elbows to get a look at Roman. He stood by the door holding my notebook and my bag hung on his shoulder. He gave me a wave and a soft smile.

"Just can't keep these Atrians away, can you?" Louise whispered in my ear with a wink. "Why don't you sit here with Julia for a minute. I have to make a call to the office and a certain student's guidance counselor." Louis stood up slowly and made her way to her desk in the back of the office.

Roman swiftly took Louise's seat and gave me a playful look, "Was Drake giving the dear old nurse a rough time?"

"Roman, you have no idea. I think Drake..." I wasn't sure how much to tell him. I was in the dark myself about most of what had happend. I sat up, swinging my legs over the side. My whole body was hyper aware that my bare left knee brushed up against his jeans. Suddenly I was struck by a thought, where did Atrians get their clothes. "Drake just kind of freaked out. I don't know what happend exactly."

"Yeah, he's like that. Don't let him intimidate you though, he's all talk. He even carried you down here, so he can't be that bad." Roman smiled again. God he could be so adorable. At that thought I was reminded of the image from my dream of Emery with blood bubbling from her chest. Could the symbolism be anymore, well symbolic?

I decided that telling Roman the whole truth was probably not nessacery at this point, but some of the truth needed to come out. I leaned in closer to Roman, so close I could take in his scent. He smelled of fresh cloves. "I think that the affects of Vyre are more than skin deep." I whispered into his ear.


End file.
